[FEAT BC Admin]

In this topic area, discussion is on all issues relating to setting up and running a home-based intervention program. Please feel free to bring up any problems or suggestions. Parents can help each other greatly by sharing information and giving suggestions.

In addition to parents helping parents, A.B.A. professionals on in the Discussion Group can also help provide insight and guidance.

Topic

[David & Lori DiSanto]

Hi everyone,

We are starting an ABA program through EAP very soon and we have a question regarding Speech Language Pathologists.

Thus far we have worked only with a SLP through the BC Centre for Ability (she has been wonderful). Unfortunately, our time with her is running out. My question is for those of you who have been running an ABA program for a while… How important has the involvement of a SLP been for your program?
Could you have made it without a SLP?
Is running your ABA program enough?
(our son just turned 3 but is ~2.25 verbally, so he speaks pretty well)
If you have been using a good SLP in the Vancouver/Burnaby area and feel they have been a very helpful accessory to your ABA program then I would love some recommendations on who's good.

We have limited funds and just want to be sure we're spending it very wisely.

With thanks,
Dave & Lori

[Nenad Ivanovic]

Attn: Rachel Notley

Hi Rachel

So far, I have got all the material for my daughter's treatment from Teaching Things store. They have good and cheap stuff. A set of 100 flash cards (Action labels, Object labels etc) typically cost $11. The only problem with these cards is that they have the name of the object / action / feeling written below the picture so I had to cover the words with blank stickers.
Their URL is http://www.teachingthings.com/
One of the stores is in Burnaby, at 3831 Still Creek Ave.

I hope this helps

Ned (Sophia's father)

[David Chan]

My son has a problem with humming. He is
27 months and does not speak, however he
hums constantly in a monotone all day. He will
stop when I tell him "no hummimg" and I
praise him profusely, but then he starts up
again right away. I have tried distracting him to
other activities but he still hums through his
favourite things, even when eating.
He has started babbling, so I try and get him
to babble, but he reverts to humming. This
has been going on for 3 months. Does
anyone have any ideas that may help?
Thank you
Allison (Matthews mom)

In response to Allison’s question re: her
son’s humming. You are definitely on the right
track being concerned about this behaviour,
because it is self-stimulatory and will most
likely interfere with language development.
Our son has a similar issue with self-talk, and
many other children with autism have issues
with incessant singing, etc. etc. The key is to
get the behaviour under stimulus control. In
the case of our son, our consultant instructed
us to have him wear a wristband. When the
adult wears the wristband, our son must
control his mouth (ie talk appropriately). When
our son wears the wristband, he is still
encouraged to talk appropriately ,but it is not
specifically targeted. This behaviour support
plan has really brought our son a long way in
the year that we’ve used it. It goes without
saying that this plan is not directly applicable
to your child, and we strongly advise you to get
a qualified Lovaas consultant (if you do not
already have one) to customize a behaviour
plan for your child’s specific needs. FEAT BC
has a new parent packet which includes a list
of Lovaas consultants, some of which have
local offices. Again we cannot emphasize
enough that one child’s behaviour plans
cannot be applied to another child, UNLESS A
QUALITIFED CONSULTANT IS SUPERVISING
THE SITUATION.!!! We are simply sharing the
information that we too had a related issue
with our child., and we completely agree with
you that behaviours of this kind need to be
addressed early in the child’s life. Hope this
was somewhat helpful…. Good luck.

David & Julia
Mr.P’s mom and pop

[Deleted User]

My son has a problem with humming. He is 27 months and does not speak, however he hums constantly in a monotone all day. He will stop when I tell him "no hummimg" and I praise him profusely, but then he starts up again right away. I have tried distracting him to other activities but he still hums through his favourite things, even when eating.
He has started babbling, so I try and get him to babble, but he reverts to humming. This has been going on for 3 months. Does anyone have any ideas that may help?
Thank you
Allison (Matthews mom)

[Deleted User]

Hi Lise

There is something that we do that helps out with costs of ABA and other therapies. It is called an "At Cost" Insurance Plan. The basic premise is that you can make at source (pre tax) deductions as premiums for the plan. Say you do $1000 per month (it can vary as dramatically as you want, of course no more than you make!). This $1000 goes to the insurance company. You then make an expense claim to them with receipts, including payroll, consultant costs, materials, diapers (if that is an issue) etc. The insurance company takes a percentage of your claim, usually 10%. So you can claim back about $900 of that $1000 that you gave them. So you are getting more than 90% of your pre-tax dollar to spend on your program. This is much better than only getting 60% of your pre-tax dollar, which it would be if you are in a 40% tax bracket.

The catch is that it needs to be done in a small company. I've run this successfully for about four years in a company of about 35 people…

Its important you weigh this off against your personal tax and employment situation. It is not right for everyone.

That's all I know (I'm just a parent, not an accountant)! Feel free to call Frank Malinka, my Financial Planner, at 604 688-0300. He can work the details with you to see if it is right for your situation. Please mention me to him if you call (note I do not make any money or other incentive on this – just building goodwill!).

Rob

[Stephen Sutherland]

Lise

I checked this out a year ago with my colleagues (I work for a human resources consulting firm that helps companies distinguish coverage of different group insurance carriers). At that time none of the major carriers included ABA treatment as part of their standard contract. Nor had anyone ever seen ABA treatment as a contact amendment.

A company can request an insurance company's standard group contract be amended to include coverage of specific items. However, this inevitably increases premiums. Since we're talking group insurance (as opposed to personal insurance), the increased cost is spread among all insured employees.

Last year Microsoft introduced ABA treatment in its insurance coverage for all its employees, and challenged other employers to follow suit. It also challenged the insurance industry to update their standard contracts to include ABA treatment. Subsequently I haven't heard if there was any response to this challenge.

Stephen Sutherland
Jacob's Dad

[Lise O’Reilly]

My husband recently became a business co-owner (about 20 employees) and he wants to set up an extended medical plan. I have heard that FEAT-BC has helped advocate with extended medical plans to get Lovaas ABA funded. We have been financing our own ABA program for 2 1/2 years now. Does anyone know which insurance companies have recognised and covered Lovaas ABA in the past? We would try to get coverage with them.
Many thanks.
Lise O'Reilly

[Deleted User]

I am trying to find a speech and language pathologist who has specific training in the behavioural method of teaching. I understand that children with autism have a better chance of learning to speak using this method.If anyone knows how I can find such a person please email Allison at caneng@columbiacable.net.
Thankyou.

[Maureen St. Cyr]

I have been told that my last post has hurt the feelings of some students and/or UBC alumni. Re-reading what I wrote, I believe the offending phrase was "Unlike the higher institutions of our beloved province, there are others around the continent that are graduating capable people every year." I can see how this can be taken as a slam against those who have graduated from UBC and this was not my intent. My beloved wife has two degrees from UBC and many of my friends graduated from there as well.

My point was that a degree from UBC does not confer on anyone expertise in autism treatment, regardless of what some of its professors would have us believe. Many of the graduates of UBC become fine therapists with appropriate training, and those who leave the province to take training in legitimate Lovaas-ABA education centres can become qualified consultants. Rachel Russell is the obvious example.

Unfortunately, we have too many people in the BC autism industry who use their sheepskins from UBC to legitimize their activities in selling autism "services". The government then passes millions of dollars to the same UBC staff who trained these "service providers" to "evaluate" the "success" of their "programs." This arrangement bears the distinctive aroma of Olympic figure skating judging.

[David Chan]

The issure HERE not "hear "is that I in fact
have E.S.L. issues and I'll be the first one to
admit it.
I am quite aware of what hype is, since I own
several copies of the Oxford dictionary, and a
spellcheck on my computer. I think I have
some rudimentry understanding of the word
"hype"

ABA therapy is doing fine without my intensive
promotion. I am trully sadden by the fact that
parents cannot find qualified service
providers. I really couldn't add much more that
what Avery has stated. I think that one thing
that does have to be stated though.

Having a qualified service provider is only one
part of the equation. The other ,is that ABA
requires some degree of commitment to the
therapy. This is to say that a qualified
consultant, will not fix your kid for you.
Behavioral protocols have to followed even
after the therapist goes home.
I am fortunate to be where I am, I am some
access to service providers, things are
moving along,
I can't begin to think about families that want
to make a go at ABA and not being able at all
to even start a program.

Know what? "less supported" therapies aren't
free and they don't implement themselves.
not matter what therapy you choose, YOU still
have to implement them.

I have absolutely no inclination to bash
anything. I have enough on my plate thanks.

Thank you Avery, it was late, and way past my
bedtime when I posted that message, that
was what I mean't

[Author]

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